Male urine drain



June i4, 1960 1 WITT ETAL 2,940,450

MALE URINE DRAIN Filed Aug. 20, 1957 MALE URINE DRAIN James Witt,Oakland, and Richard L. Bower, Pleasant Hill, Calif., assignors to TheUrex Company, Pleasant Hill, Calif., a partnership comprised 'of JamesWitt, Richard L. Bower, and Kathleen Bower Filed Aug. 20, 1957, Ser. No.679,165

4 Claims. (Cla 12S-295) This invention relates generally Vto urinedrains and more particularly to urine drains for use by male patients.

In the past considerable diinculty has been encountered in removingurine from incontinent quiescent bed or wheel chair patients.Catheterization has often been tried but has been found to have seriousdisadvantages particularly when utilized on male patients. Since thecatheter must be inserted and removed from the urinary tract, it isirritating to the urinaryptract and often introduces infection. Thecatheter when inserted abnormally drains the bladder and will only passvery small kidney or bladder stones. During tumescence of the maleorgan, the catheter may be very painful and may cause damage to thecavernous tissue. In addition, the insertion of the catheter requiresclose medical supervision and must generally be done by someone otherthan the patient. The catheter also clogs easily thus necessitatingremoval and cleaning. The catheter is also relatively high in costbecause numerous other additional components are required for asatisfactory urine drain. Other urinary devices which are attachedexternally have also been found to be unsatisfactory because they havefailed to keep the patient dry with resulting urine irritation and bedsores. ln addition, many of the urinary devices create undue irritation,damage blood vessels, restrict venous iiow and cause maceration.

In general, it is an object of the present invention to provide a urinedrain suitable for use by males which overcomes the above nameddisadvantages and which encourages natural urination.

Another object of the invention is to provide a male urlne drain of theabove character which is extemally attached to the male patient.

Another object of the invention is to provide a male urine drain of theabove character which is attached to the patient in a painless manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a male urine drain of theabove character which permits free urine ow without a buildsup ofexcessive back pressure.

vAnother object of the invention is to provide a male urine drain of theabove character which will not cause pain upon the occurrence oftnmescence of the male organ and which will not cause damage tocavernous tis'- sue.

Another object of the invention is to provide a male `urine drain of theabove character which will cause little pain and no damage if the urinedrain is accidentally or intentionally pulled off.-

Another object of the invention is to provide a male urine drain of theabove character which be easily attached and detached by the patient.

Another object of the invention is to provide a male urine drain of theabove character which can be utilized by incontinent quiescent male bedor wheel chair patients.

Another object of the invention is to provide a male urine drain of theabove character which can be utilized by ambulatory patients.

Another object of the invention is to provide a male arent O urine drainofthe above character which Akeeps the patient dry at all times.

Another object of the invention is to provide a male urine drain of theabove character in which vacuum formation is inhibited.

Another object of the invention is to provide a male urine drain of theabove character in which any vacuum formation can be eliminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a male urine drain of theabove character which is relatively low in initial cost, has a long lifeand is easily cleaned by washing or sterilization.

Additional objects and features of the invention will appear from thefollowing description in which the preferred embodiment has been setforth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

Referring t'o the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view partly in crosssection showing theurine drain incorporating our invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional View taken along the line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view in cross-section of anotherembodiment of our penis sheath; and

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of ourinvention.

The male urine drain shown in the drawing consists generally of a maleorgan or penis sheath i1, a drain tube i2 and a receptacle 13. Thesheath, as shown, is formed with a polygonal shaped portion ist which atone end forms an inlet opening 16 and at the other end is joined to oneend of a conical portion 17. The other end of the conical portion i7 isjoined to a cylindrical or tubular portion 18 which forms an outletopening 19.

The polygonal portion 1li may have any number of sides, however, it hasbeen found preferable to form the portion i4 in the shape of an Octagonas shown. A bead 2i has been formed adjacent the inlet opening i6 toincrease the strength of the portion 14 adjacent the opening. The sheath11 may be formed of any suitable flexible material, however, we havefound it desirable to utihze soft natural rubber or latex because of itselasticity and because it will not harm the skin. The use of softnatural rubber also permits steam sterilization.

Means is provided for securing the sheath 1i to the male organ or penisand consists of a pair of drawstrings 22. and 23 which are bonded to'opposite 'side Walls of the polygonal portion 14 near the inlet opening16. The (trav/strings 22 and 23 may be formed of any suitable materialsuch as cotton and preferably should be rather wide to prevent injur; tothe male organ, as hereinafter described.

The remainder of the urinary drain is substantially conventional andconsists of the tube i2 and the receptacle 13. The drain tube i2 can beformed of any suitable material such as plastic or rubber. One end ofthe tube 12 is connected to an adapter unit 25 which is provided with anend 27 gradually decreasing in diameter in steps as shown. The end 27 ofreduced diameter of the adapter unit 2e may readily be inserted in theoutlet opening 19 of the sheath 11 to form a watertight seal between thetubular portion 18 of the sheath and the end 27.

The other end of the drain tube 12 is provided with au adapter skirt 29which is formed of suitable elastic material such as natural rubber. Thesmaller end of the skirt 29 is bonded to the tubing y12 and 'the lowerend of the skirt is provided with a bead 31 to reinforce the lower end.The lower end of the adapter skirt 29 faces in the same direction as theend of the tubing and is adapted to be inserted over the neck of thereceptacle 13 which in this 'case is a bottle and serves to hold thelower end of the drain tube -12 within the neck of :he

bottle. It will be noted that the inner diameter of the neck of thebottle is substantially greater than the outerk YThe operation and useof our urine drain may now be described as follows: To utilize the urinedrain, the connector or adapter unit 26 is inserted in the outletopening 19 of the penis sheath by rolling the tubular tip 1S onto Vthestepped end 27 of the connector 26. The sheath is then held so that'thedraw-strings depend from the sides of thesheath and the inlet opening 16of the sheath is then spread apart andthe male organ or penis isinserted into `the sheath until the'inlet opening 16 and the bead'21 areadjacent the shank of the male organ. Y, The drawstrings 22 and 23 arethen pulled together 'i across the top of the male organ andftiedsnugly'into a knot and preferably intoV What is called a bow knotvrather than a square knot or granny knot. The elastic skirt 29 may thenbe slipped over the outside of the neck of the bottle after the far endof the tubing 12 has been adaptable for use for incrontinentV quiescentmale bed or wheel chair patients. The drawstrings serve to secure thesheath v'11 securely to the penis'to retain the sheath on the pem's. Thesnug tit on the penis also prevents urine from flowing out of the inletopening of the sheath. The

Vdrawstrings are of a suhcient width to placethe l1oldonV forces on theorgan over a relatively widearea and, therefore, serve to grip theorgan'gently. Excessive pressure on the surface blood vessels andrestriction of the Venous blood ow is, therefore, avoided. Y

`-The interior of the octagonal portion 14 adjacent the inlet opening 16is provided with a roughened interior surface. Such a rough surface maybe provided by form- `ing the sheath on a wood form. This roughenedinterior surface serves to increase friction and, therefore, serves toimprove theV grip on Ithe male organ. Y Y f It has been found thatforming the portion *14 in a suitable polygonal shape such as octagonalYserves ,to prevent the sheath from totally collapsing and stickingtogether. Such a shape also provides -a relatively large air chamberadjacent the penis which facilitates the operation of the urine drain byproviding an air evaporation area. The conical end portion 17 by itsshape and thickness also serves to prevent the sheath from collapsingfor the same purpose. By preventing collapse of -the sidewalls, theYsidewalls are keptapart so they cannot stick together.

VThe sheath 11 has been formed of sucien-t length to prevent creep offduring tumescence. Since only the top portion of the sheath yhas been-tied together by the drawstrings 22 `and 23, the lower portion of thesheath may stretch to accommodate tumescence of the male organ withoutinjury to the male organ.

Vacuum formation within the sheath 11 -is undesirable Ybecause thisserves to maintain wetness in the sheath and Y prevents evaporation.YThis vacuum'condition is alleviated in part by the openings '32 in theskirt 29. It is also believed that vacuum formation is inhibited by aslight air entry between the shank ofthe penis and the roughenedinterior surface of the sheath 1v1. Air may also enter through theexcess material of the'sheath which is drawn up under the drawstrings. Aslight amount of air may also creep onto the interior of thesheath'pastany pubic hairs that may be caught between the sheath and theinterior surface of the sheath and the shank of the penis. Y f

The conical portion 17 and the tubular tip 18 are so positioned that allurine in the sheath will readily drain down the tube 12 without theformation of pools within the sheath. rPhe sidewalls ofthe sheath 11-areformed of 4 sufficient thickness toravoid ballooning during rapid urinedischarge and possible rupture of the sheath.

The use of our urine drain is particularly desirable be- Acause theexterior yattachment avoids theV risk of introduction Voff infectionwhich may becaused if catheters are used. The use ofthe 'urine drain ispainless even upon tumescence of themale organ because of theconstruction of the sheath.

YThe urine drain may be readily'fattached vand detached by the patientor anotherV individual,V Close medical supervision is not required.

One sheath 114 found tobe particularly satisfactory had the followingdimensions. The ootagonal portion 14 had a length of 51/s" and had awidth of l3/s. The conical portion 17'l1ad a length of ll/ and thetubular tip 1S had a length of 1%" and a diameter of 1A". The sheath'wasformed of natural rubber latex.V The octag- 'onal portion 14 had athickness of, .015 of an zinch and 'ness of .O25 of an inch.

Another embodiment of a penis sheath is shown in VFigure 3 and issimilar to Vthat shown in Figure l except that the end adjacent thepolygonal portion 14 is formed with a tapered vportion 36 to provide aninlet opening 37 of reduced diameter. lThe tapered portion 36 may beconical or may be polygonal as is the portion 14; A bead 38 isformedadjacent. the inlet opening 37.to reinforce thelinletopening. The inletopening 37 formed by the portion '36 may be readily distended to permitintroduction of the penis into the sheath. The inlet 'opening 37,however, is of such a: size that the tapered portion 36 will firmly butgently grasp the A'shank portionof the penis.

The taperedportion 36 will. grasp the shankgof the penis is such amanner thatthe grasp lwillvtake place over a relatively largelongitudinal area rather than on a circular line arund the shank of thepenis.

of 45 with vrespect to the polygonal portion 14.

The embodiment of the penis sheath shown in Figure 3 also includes anautomatic breather valve 41 on the conical portion 17 midway between theends of the conical portion 17 `and in line with the'panel or wall ofthe upper side ofthe octagonal portion 14 between the drawstrings 22 and23. The breather valve'as shown consists of a body 42 whichV carries aball 43 which is normally urged against a seat 44 by a spring 46. A cap.47 is also provided for closing the valve. The valve is normally heldin a'closed position 'by the spring 46 and opens only when a vacuumcondition has been created the penis sheath 11 and in` the drainagetubing. The cap 47 prevents inadvertent operation or leakage of thevalve.

VThepenis sheathshown in Figure 3 is particularly adapted for usebyambulatory patientsA andV may be used in a manner similar to thatshown in Figure 1 except that the tube 12 would be connected -to areceptacle or container which could be carried on the person of thepatient such asA by strapping the receptacle to the leg of the patient.The sheath can also be supported by a detachable belt or the like wellknown to those skilled in the art and secured to the waist of thepatient. After Vurination hasoccurred and ifa vacuum condition existswithin the sheatlnrthe cap 47 may be removed toy allow the breathervalve 41 to operate to alleviate the vacuum condition.

It should be noted that theconditions which inhibit vacuum formation inthe sheath shown 'in Figures 1 and 2 are also present in the embodimentshown in Figure 3.

Another embodiment of our invention is shown in Figure 4. It is similarto that of Figure 3 except that a fine weave cloth 5-1 has beensubstituted for the valve 41. As shown, the cloth patch which may be ofany suitable shape such as circular or ovalhas its margins bonded to thesheath so that the patch covers the opening 52. The opening is placed aslight distance above the conical portion 17 on the panel between thedrawstrings 22 and 23. The cloth patch is of such a Weave that urineleakage is prevented but air is permitted to enter to prevent a vacuumformation in the sheath.

It is apparent from the foregoing that we have provided a greatlyimproved urine drain that encourages natural urination and which isparticularly adaptable for use by quiescent male bed or Wheel chairpatients because it keeps the bedding dry and thereby prevents urineirritation and bed sores. It is also readily apparent that theembodiments of our invention shown in Figures 3 and 4 are particularlyadaptable for use by ambulatory male patients.

We claim:

l. In a male urine drain adapted to be secured to the penis, a penissheath of a pliable relatively thin elastic material adapted to enclosethe penis, said penis sheath being formed with a polygonal portionhaving a length greater than the length of the penis, the polygonalportion being formed -with an annular bead at one end delinng an inletopening which has a diameter smaller than the normal diameter of thepenis and which is adapted to clasp the shank of the penis, said penissheath also being formed with a conical portion contiguous to the otherend of said polygonal portion and a tubular tip contiguous to theconical portion and dening an outlet opening, a pair of draw strings ofrelatively wide material secured to opposite side Walls of the polygonalportion adjacent the inlet opening, the draw strings being adapted to betied on one side of the penis sheath to secure the sheath to the penis,the side of the polygonal portion opposite the side on which the drawstrings are tied' being free to stretch to accommodate tumescence of thepenis, means for alleviating any vacuum condition arising in the sheath,and means connected to the outlet opening of the sheath for receivingthe urine.

2. A urine drain as in claim 1 wherein the means for alleviating thevacuum condition is provided in said sheath at a point remote from theinlet opening and at a point normally spaced from the penis to permitthe ready entrance of .air into the sheath upon the formation of avacuum condition in the sheath.

3. In a male urine drain adapted to be secured to the penis, a penissheath of a pliable relatively thin elastic material adapted to enclosethe penis, the penis sheath being formed with a polygonal portion havinga length greater than the length of the penis, a conical portioncontiguous to one end of said polygonal portion, the conical portionbeing formed with an annular bead defining an inlet opening having asize substantially smaller than the size of the polygonal portion, saidbead being adapted to rmly clasp the shank of the penis, an additionalconical portion contiguous to the other end of said polygonal portionand a tubular tip contiguous to the conical portion and dening an outletopening, a pair of relatively wide draw strings of a cotton-likematerial secured `to opposite side walls of the polygonal portionadjacent the conical portion forming the inlet opening, said drawstrings normally extending in the same direction at right angles to thelongitudinal axis of the sheath, the draw strings being adapted to hetied in a knot on one side of the penis sheath to secure the sheath tothe penis, the draw strings serving to apply the hold on forces to thepenis over a relatively wide area, the side of the sheath opposite theside on Which the draw strings are tied being adapted to stretch toaccommodate tumescence of the penis, means for alleviating any vacuumcondition arising in the sheath and means connected to the outletopening of the sheath for receiving the urine.

4. A urine drain as in claim 3 wherein said means for alleviating thevacuum condition in the sheath is mounted on the sheath and comprisesmeans for permitting air to enter the sheath and serving to prevent thepassage of urine therethrough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,358,440 Bowman Sept. 19, 1944 2,438,901 Coxe Apr. 6, 1948 2,476,375Kent July 19, 1949 2,699,781 Koch Ian. 18, 1955 2,759,477 Mains Aug. 21,1956

